Southwest wants a bigger voice on KCI's future

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - A $1.2 billion proposal to replace Kansas City International Airport's current three-terminal configuration with a single terminal took a major hit this week when the airport's biggest user said it doesn't support the idea.

A Southwest Airlines executive told business leaders Wednesday that his company wants more say in future development at the airport and has the resources to help the city come up with an alternative plan, The Kansas City Star reported (http://bit.ly/18vhVjN ).

The current proposal - to be funded mainly by the airlines in the way of higher ticket surcharges and landing fees - would sharply increase the cost of doing business in Kansas City, said Ron Ricks, Southwest's executive vice president.

"We're the anchor tenant, so costs are important to us," he said Wednesday. "A new $1.2 billion terminal would triple our costs. That's a problem."

With about 70 flights a day at KCI, Dallas-based Southwest accounts for 40 percent of the flights and offers 51 percent of the seats, he said. But until now, the airlines have not had a voice in planning for the airport's future, he said.

A task force established by Mayor Sly James intends to invite the airlines to discussions about the single-terminal plan and then hold public hearings before making recommendations in April.

"I think Southwest should have a significant input," said David Fowler, co-chair of the 24-member mayoral task force. "They'll be providing a lot of the financial means if anything gets done."

Southwest estimates it now pays $5.25 per passenger to use KCI, which is among the lowest costs in the U.S. But under the single-terminal plan proposed by the city, that would grow to $14.36 to $18.70 per passenger in 2022.

The current maximum passenger cost nationally for medium-sized airports like KCI is $19.17.

Ricks said the airport's runway and gate capacities are more than adequate for future air service, and the airport functions efficiently.

"A $1.2 billion proposal would be a disincentive for airlines to service Kansas City," Ricks said. "We're confident we could come up with something for the community at a much lower cost than what's being presented here."

Southwest has its own design and construction management operation, he said, and has worked with cities such as Denver, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Dallas and Houston to improve their airports.

While he wouldn't say Southwest would finance a potential KCI improvement plan or help with its planning, Ricks said it's possible.

"We don't want to be specific, but we have a team at Southwest that's good at working with local communities to design, finance and build terminals that work for those communities," he said.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com

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Southwest wants a bigger voice on KCI's future

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ? A $1.2 billion proposal to replace Kansas City International Airport's current three-terminal configuration with a single terminal took a major hit this week when the